Collapsible tube with shut-off device



July 26, 1960 P. J. c. SEELEN COLLAPSIBLE TUBE WITH SHUT-OFF DEVICE Filed Nov. 10, 1958 COLLAPSIBLE TUBE WITH SHUT-OFF DEVICE Petrus J. C. Seelen, 191 Nieuwe Gracht, Utrecht, Netherlands Filed Nov. 10, 1958, Ser. No. 772,748

Claims priority, application Netherlands Nov. 15, 1957 4 Claims. (Cl. 222107) The invention relates to a collapsible tube, which is provided at one end with a spout having an axial passage and a shut-off device.

Such tubes are universally known and are usually shut off by means of a screw cap. However, this involves the disadvantage that after the use of the tube in most cases on the rim of the spout opening a given quantity of substance is left, which, when the cap is screwed on, will get between the screw thread and be squeezed out along the lower rim of the cap, so that the tube does not remain clean. Further, if the tube is to be shut off effectively, the cap has to be screwed on rather tightly, as a result of which the tube will tend to be squeezed to pieces.

Even the familiar tube-fastenings, in which a kind of protective cap is screwed over the whole spout to shut off the tube, have certain disadvantages; the protective cap fills with the substance from the tube, and the next time the cap is screwed on again, this substance escapes along the rim of the cap.

Since in most cases the filling of the tube takes place under some pressure, it will often happen that when the cap is unscrewed for the first time, a larger quantity of the contents of the tube escapes than is desirable at this moment.

Further people are apt to forget to shut the tube after use, in consequence of which the upper portion of the contents dries up and blocks the opening.

Now the object of the invention is to furnish a tubefastening which forms a continuous unit with the tube and which does not involve the above-mentioned disadvantages.

This object is attained according to the invention because the wall of the spout is provided with an opening in the transverse direction and because the shut-off device is formed by a plunger-shaped element adapted to move with a close fit in the spout, while in a part of the element an axial passage has been provided, into which end one or more passages at right angles thereto, while in a given position of the shut-01f element the transverse passage in the spout communicates with a transverse passage in the shut-off element, so that a connection is brought about between the interior of the tube and the atmosphere.

In a preferred embodiment according to the invention a checking pin has been provided in the shut-off element, which pin cooperates with a groove in the spout in order to restrict the rotation and displacement of the element. In this connection the shape of the innermost part of the shut-E element may correspond to the shape of the part forming the transition from the spout to the tube, and in the shut position may lie close against it. In order to ensure the element lying close to the tube, one or more vents may be provided, via which the space between the innermost part of the shut-off element and the part forming the transition from the spout to the tube communicates with the atmosphere. Thus, for example, one or more vents may be provided in the. part forming the transition from the head to the body of the tube.

The end of a partially emptied tube can be kept in Patented July 26, 1960 rolled-up condition with the aid of a fixing pin. The body of the tube may be made of flexible plastic, e.g. polythene, while the spout and the shut-off element may be made of hard plastic, e.g. hard polythene.

The invention will be elucidated further with reference to the drawing, in which Figure 1 shows a vertical crosssection of a tube according to the invention, while Figure 2 is a cross-section along the line Il-II in Figure 1.

To the body 1 of the tube, which has been sealed at the bottom 2 in the known way by rolling or welding, a spout 3 has been fastened, the axial passage 4 of which is provided with the transverse bore 5 in a place on the circumference. In this spout a shut-off element 6 is adapted to move with a close fit, which element is provided with an axial passage 7 and an opening 8 at right angles thereto. The locking pin 9 likewise connected with the element, which pin cooperates with a groove 10 made in the spout 3, restricts the movement of the element. The innermost part 11 of the element has the same shape as the part 12 forming the transition from the spout to the body of the tube, and lies against it will a close fit. In order to facilitate the reciprocating movement of the shut-01f element, the vents 13 have been made in the part 12.

For use, the tube filled with a liquid or pasty substance can be squeezed together with the fingers of one hand, while the shut-off element 6 is depressed with the thumb or a finger of the other hand. The openings 5 and 8 will then face each other and the substance flows from the tube via passage 7 and the openings.

When the tube is to be shut, it is sufficient to release the shut-off element; owing to the pressure exerted upon the tube it will then rise and shut off the opening 5. The rolled-up end of the tube may, if desired, be kept in this condition by means of a separate fixing pin.

The tube may be made of the usual materials, but the body is preferably made of a flexible plastic, e.g. polythene, while the spout 3 and the shut-off element 6 are preferably made of a hard plastic, e;g. hard polythene. The spout and the tube may form one continuous unit.

What I claim is:

1. Self-closing dispenser device of the collapsible tube type, comprising a tubular collapsible body portion closed at one end, a rigid spout secured at the other end of said body portion, said spout having a tip portion of relatively small diameter, a base portion of larger diameter joining said body portion, and a transition portion connecting said tip and base portions, said tip portion having a wall defining an axial passage therethrough and having a transverse passage extending through said wall and communicating with said axial passage, and a hollow plunger element closely fitting the inner surface of said wall and slidable inwardly and outwardly relative to said spout and body portion, said element being closed at its outer end and open to the interior of said body portion at its inner end, and having a transverse passage therethrough which registers with said first-mentioned transverse passage when said element is in its inward position, the inner end of said element being formed to provide a transverse flange portion closely fitting inside the base and transition portions of said spout when said element is in its outward position, and closely fitting inside said base portion during sliding movements of said element.

2. The device of claim 1 including means venting to atmosphere the space between said transition portion and said flange portion.

3. The device of claim 2, said vent means taking the form of an aperture extending. through said transition portion.

4. The device of claim 1, said axial passage and said element being of circular cross-section, and means for preventing relative rotation therebetween while permitting relative axial movement thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Marcy Jan. 18, 1870 Anderson Jan. 5, 1932 McDonald Jan. 14, 1932 4 Schwartz Jan. 3, 1933 Filger Dec. 4, 1951 Parker May 13, 1952 Schultz Oct. 18, 1955 Dunn Feb. 17, 1959 

